GREETINGS FROM ASIAN AMERICAN FESTIVAL 2005 CHAIRMAN

            Welcome to the website of the 7^th Annual Asian American Festival, hosted this year for the first time by the Indonesian American community.

            Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago with 17,508 islands spread in an area along the equator between the Asian mainland and Australia, and between the Pacific and the Indian oceans (along a distance longer than that between New York and San Francisco).  Our islands are inhabited by many peoples and tribes with strong and diverse cultures and speaking many local languages, but there is one national language spoken throughout the country.  Indonesia is the world’s fourth largest country in population.

            Our Festival’s theme is “Unity in Diversity”, which is also Indonesia’s national motto.   We selected the slogan before the Tsunami hit Asia and Indonesia, but the strength of the Asian communities’ response to the disaster demonstrates our unity.

            I have just recently returned from Indonesia, as did another of our steering committee members, Nina Owens, who left for Aceh the day after the Tsunami hit.  We purchased and personally delivered back-to-school supplies plus money to 500 elementary school students in the refugee camps in Aceh.  We were supported in this effort by the Asian American Coalition, the Vietnamese American community, the Indonesian Disaster Relief Fund, and others.  Nina, who lost relatives in the disaster, was also able to bring assistance to the victims.  And many more Asian American organizations provided help, for which we are grateful.

            Our Festival is intended as a celebration of our cultures, our unity and our diversity, and our success as members of the broader American culture.  We look forward to a joyous event, just as we can find joy in the response of the Asian American community and the American public as a whole to the needs of the Tsunami victims.  So I hope that each of you visiting this website finds something of interest and that you will decide to join us May 23-27 in Daley Plaza.

            See you there.

            Regards,
            Roosy Miller
            Chairman
            Asian American Festival 2005

MAY 23 - 27, 2005 CITY OF CHICAGO RICHARD M. DALEY MAYOR

E-mail of the Asian American Festival 2005: aafmay2005@hotmail.com, or  aafmay2005@yahoo.com
Last updated: 29 March 2005 21:10 by webmaster